From May 30th to 31st, the second round of the 2023 CFA Cup was in full swing, with 16 teams from Central B playing against 16 Central A teams. Thanks to the home field advantage of the B team, the A team is not allowed to use foreign aid, the gap between the strength of the two teams to be able to close, the suspense of the game rises sharply. In the end, Zibo Qisheng, Yunnan Yukun, Nantong Haimen Ke Bao Yuan, Hunan Xiangtao, Chongqing Tongliang Dragon and other 5 teams successfully against the odds, into the third round of the AFC Cup.
Yunnan Yukun beat Guangxi Pingguo 2-0, while Nantong Haimen Cosco beat Liaoning Shenyang City 2-0. Hunan Xiangtao advanced with a 1-0 win over Shanghai Jiading Huilong thanks to No. 41 Wu Qinghua's 94th-minute goal. Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, playing at home, took a 2-0 lead over Shijiazhuang Kung Fu in the first half thanks to goals from Li Zhenquan and Hu Yong, and consolidated their advantage in the second half to seal a 3-0 win.
Zibo Qisheng's road to promotion was particularly twisted. After a 90-minute draw with Jinan Xingzhou in the Shandong Derby, Zibo Qisheng won the penalty shootout. In the first round of the match against Yiwu Jinxiu, Zibo Qisheng also won through penalty kicks, it seems that they are quite good at penalty kicks.
With this round of matches coming to an end, the matchups for the third round of the AFC Cup have been finalized. Guangzhou will host their old rivals Shanghai Harbor, Wuxi Wuhu will face Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Yanbian Longding will challenge Dalian People, and Hunan Xiangtao will face Henan Team. Qingdao West Coast will face Cangzhou Lions, Zibo Qisheng will face Beijing Guoan, Suzhou Dongwu will face Meizhou Hakka, and Dongguan Guanlian will challenge Shandong Taishan.
In the second half, Heilongjiang Bingcheng will face Nantong Zhiyun, Jiangxi Lushan will face Wuhan Sanzhen, Nanjing will face Changchun Yatai, Dandong Tengyue will face Qingdao Hainiu, and Chongqing Tongliang Dragon will face Chengdu Rongcheng. Nantong Haimen will face Shenzhen, Sichuan Jiuniu against Zhejiang, and Yunnan Yukun against Shanghai Shenhua.
The match between Guangzhou and Shanghai Seaport is highly anticipated. With Guangzhou's relegation, the two teams' former dream of winning the championship has drifted away. This season, Shanghai Seaport is leading the Chinese Super League table and is considered the favorite to win the title. While Guangzhou is under huge pressure to stay in the Central League, direct matches between the two teams will become extremely rare in the future. In addition, the match between Yunnan Yukun and Shanghai Shenhua is also full of attractions. Yunnan Yukun has brought in strong reinforcements this season and is currently ranked No. 1 in the Central B Kunming South Division, while Shenhua is playing away from home on the Plateau and has limited foreign aid.
According to the schedule, the third round of the F.A.C. Cup will be held from June 23rd to 24th in 16 cities across the country, with a single-game knockout system. According to the rules of the AFC Cup, Chinese Super League teams are still not allowed to use foreign aid, which will make the road to promotion full of suspense.
